The HC had held that all the 19 persons were charged under Central laws like the Passport Act and Unlawful Prevention of Activities Act.

The Suprme Court on Friday agreed to examine an appeal by the Uttar Pradesh government against a High Court order, quashing its decision to withdraw cases against 19 persons accused of terror charges.

A bench, led by Justice H L Dattu, issued notice to the petitioner in the High Court, on whose plea the latter had rejected the decision of the state government to withdraw criminal cases against 19 persons facing terror charges in connection with the serial blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.

This had come as a big set back to the ruling Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2014 parliament elections, as it had promised in its election manifesto for the March 2012 assembly elections, the withdrawal of cases against all innocent Muslims lodged in different jails of the state.

The High Court had held that all the 19 persons were charged under Central laws like the Passport Act and Unlawful Prevention of Activities Act, and hence the state government cannot withdraw the criminal cases against them without getting prior sanction from the Centre. The court had added that even if the sanction is granted by the Centre, the cases cannot be withdrawn without the approval of the designated court.